That's my boy
by stridershake
Summary: *WARNING* SADSTUCK! ((this is my first fanfic so please be easy on me! plus this was an rp between a dirk and i and its hard for me to convert that into a story :I)) Dave didn't expect to find what he did. All he wanted was to hang out with John. Instead, he find's a dying Dirk on the sidewalk.


Dave Strider walked down his stairs to his kitchen, grabbing an apple juice from the fridge. He opened it, sipped, closed it, and put it in the back he carried on his back. He was supposed to meet John at their usual spot to discuss their plans for the summer. He walked out of his house, the warm Texian air brushing his skin lightly. It had to be at least 87 degrees outside and Dave was in his usual long sleeved red canvas shirt with the broken record design over the chest, long black jeans, and red converse. The heat didn't bother him at all though. Bro had taught him how to adjust to his conditions. Bro taught him everything he knows today.

Speaking of which, just as Dave ran right into his older sibling as he rounded the corner of the street, smacking face first into his chest. "Woah bro, sup?" He asked him. Dirk grimaced as Dave hit him. "Oh nothing just dying." He mumbled. Dave raised a brow, clearly confused. "Bro what's wrong?"

"Don't matter."

"It does matter."

They always went back and forth like this whenever they argued. His brother fell to the ground, holding his chest as a sticky red liquid slowly started to pour out. Dave stared at the sight, slightly surprised. How had he not noticed that when he walked right into him? The sky above darked all of a sudden, rain clouds covering the sun. Rain started to drizzle down, coating the two boys in the salt water mixture.

"No, it doesn't." Dirk whispered. "Yes it does. You're my fucking brother. It does matter." Dirk chuckled sadly, shaking his head slightly. "I'm just...dying. Let's leave it at that." Dave didn't want to hear it. There was no way that Dirk could be dying. Dirk was a god to Dave. He was everything he ever wanted to be. "Bro no. I won't...I..." He knelt beside his dying brother, taking his hand and giving it a gentle squeeze. "You what?"

"...sorry for fucking up your puppets the other day..." Guilt had suddenly settled inside the younger Strider's mind. Everything he had ever done to his brother started popping up, causing tears to rim his eyes. "It's whatever."

"Sorry for being such a sucky brother."

"You weren't."

"Yes I was." Dave said forcefully. He was tearing up now, tears rolling down his cheeks. The light drizzle had turned into a heavy rain. It pounded against his back soaking him to the bone. It never rained in Texas. Never. So having it rain now was more or less a coincidence. For something so terrible and sad to happen. What was happening now was like what happens in movies. But this is real life. Not some fictional place where people die but everyone else get happy endings. This was reality. Dirk was really dying and Dave was not going to get a happy ending. Everything from that moment on was going to be hell for him. He knows it will be.

"Dave." He pulled away from his thoughts to look at his brother through his shades, seeing a slightly annoyed look. This made Dave smile slightly. It was so familiar that it tugged at his dying heart. "Yeah bro?"

"Don't do that."

"Don't do what?"

"Don't be so hard on yourself." This was something bro said to him often. Usually after their strifes he would find Dave locked up in his room yelling at himself for not doing something right. Dave reached up and slowly took off his shades for the first time in front of his brother, looking down at him with sad ruby eyes. "...all I ever wanted was to be like you...or better...but you're like a fucking god. There's no way I could ever surpass you no matter how hard I tried. That's why I'm always so damn hard on myself." Bro was silent for a moment or two, letting the information sink in. Finally, after what felt like forever, he smirked. "Stop with the anime monologue. I love you okay?"

Dave laughed. Really laughed. He hadn't done this since he was little. "Sorry bro. I love you too." Dirk smiled slightly, happy to hear that. They had never really expressed their feelings for each other before. They weren't really the type of family to say I love you everyday. It was rare for them and because of this they knew they meant it. "Dave?" He whispered, his voice becoming course. He didn't know how much longer he had. He needed to tell Dave before it was too late.

"Yeah?"

"If anybody should be sorry, it should be me, alright?"

"Why? You didn't do anything wrong." Dave was confused. His older brother was always there for him. Always. Never was there a moment when he needed him that bro wasn't there. "No. I never was. I was never there for you."

"Don't say that!" He gripped his brother's hand tightly, his eyes hiding behind his wet white hair. "You were...what about when I was little when I fell off my bike and fucked up my knee? You carried me all the way home." Dirk sighed. "That was a long time ago, Dave."

"You were still there..." Dave whispered. The rain hid his tears well. If bro saw him crying he would never forgive himself. He had taught him to hide his emotions from everyone. To only express them alone. Dave did this often. He was always locked up in his room, either screaming at himself and cutting. The young Strider often found himself bullied at school. Being pushed and called stupid names by those who like to bring him down. They tell him that just because he wears shades doesn't mean he's cool. Of course, he always retaliated with some ironic statement, but that only made things worse. He remembered one day when bro found his razor and a trail of blood leading from his room to the bathroom sink... "...if anyone wasn't there for anyone it was me...what did I ever do for you? All I did was trash your dolls..."

"I'm not upset about that, dude. I never was."

"You always acted mad though..."

"I know. I'm sorry."

"It's okay."

The Strider brothers never talked like this before. It was nice for the both of them. Letting out their feelings.

"Good. That's...good." Tears slowly rolled down Dirk's cheeks. The end was coming and he could feel it. The things Dave was saying were becoming hazy. So was his face. He sniffled, aware that Dave could hear. He didn't care if Dave saw/heard him cry. His life was coming to an end. "...and Dave?"

Dave heard his brother sniffle, a sign that he was crying. He thought he'd never hear the sound coming from his brother's pale lips before. "Yeah bro?" Dirk put a gloved hand on his brother's cheek. "You're here for me now and that's what matters. So even if it's for a minute or two, it matters." Hearing those words leave bro's mouth made Dave cry full on, which he's never actually done before. His brother could tell he was crying, and he wiped away a few tears with his thumb. "I-I won't let you die bro. I won't. You can't-"

"Dave."

Dave sniffled, wiping his face with his sleeve. "Yeah bro?"

"I'm dying okay?" Dave shook his head. He would never be able to accept this fact. Never. Even after bro is dead. "But..."

"Davey, hey," Dirk whispered, "I'm not scared."

"...does it hurt? To die I mean." The older brother laughed, ignoring the pain in his chest. Blood was starting to trickle from his lips now, and he could barely see. He didn't want to close his eyes though. Not yet. "Yeah, a lot, but I'm not scared." Dave pulled his dying brother into his lap, holding him close to his chest. Dirk's shades fell off his fade in the process, revealing his bright orange eyes. "You were never scared of anything." Dave whispered in Dirk's ear, "I wouldn't imagine you would be now. You're a Strider. We aren't afraid of anything."

Dirk was slipping. Dave could feel it. His body was slowly becoming heavier and heavier. "Yeah...and I don't want you to be either."

"I won't. I promise."

Dirk looked up at his brother for the last time, a smile forming on to his face. His eyes finally closed, and his body couldn't support itself any longer. He went completely limp, but the smile didn't fade. Dave knew. His brother was dead. But Dirk's lips moved one last time. "That's my boy."


End file.
